[ENG] Soshiki no Shukuteki to Kekkon Shitara Mecha Amai V2 Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"............You're late."

"............It's still five minutes early."

When I arrived at the meeting place with Yanagi Ritsuka, she was already waiting.

It was still five minutes before the designated time, but I guess she’s the type to be overly punctual.

...Though, she's got a Buddha-like expression. I can't really say much about that myself.

"I’ll say this first, but I came here to make it clear who’s on top today."

"You don’t need to say it. I’m already aware. Or do you have some other intentions?"

"Huh? Other intentions? Well, I mean..."

Yanagi looked away, muttering something under her breath. I heard words like "man and woman" and "alone together," but there's no way she's planning on ambushing me and taking me down, right?

Her behavior has gotten a little less suspicious compared to that time at the group date, but I still can't fully trust her. Anything could happen, and this kind of tension... it’s been four years since I’ve felt it.

"Anyway, let’s go. I won’t stop you if you want to go home, but you’ll forfeit if you do."

"I-I’m not going home! And if you run away halfway through, I’ll call you a loser cat!"

"...Shouldn't it be 'loser dog'?"

"I like cats more."

"What are you even saying...?"

The way she said it, it makes it sound like cats are the ones losing. Is that okay?

Those who possess the "Blessing" are referred to as "Marked" in our organization. As the name suggests, those who bear a "Blessing" always have a wing-shaped mark somewhere on their body. And this is just my personal, unsubstantiated theory, but "Marked" people tend to be weird. Yanagi is "Marked"... so I guess that means she's probably weird.

We began walking, maintaining a slightly awkward distance. I didn’t want to walk behind her, probably because of some psychological resistance, so we ended up walking side by side, but the gap between us remained wide—enough for an adult to pass between us.

"............"

Naturally, we didn't exchange any small talk. I didn’t feel like talking, and neither did she.

What would we even talk about? It’s fine to stay silent.

Eventually, we arrived at the large bowling alley that was our destination. It also housed several other entertainment facilities inside, attracting high school and college students like moths to a flame.

"Alright, let's go check in... Hey, what’s wrong?"

"Huh!? N-Nothing...!"

Once we entered the building, Yanagi's suspicious behavior became even more noticeable.

She was looking around frantically, glancing left and right. A dog that strayed off its walking route... no, since she likes cats, should I call her a cat who wandered off its route?

"If you need to go to the bathroom, do it now. I don’t want you using that as an excuse for losing."

"I-I’m fine! It’s not that!"

"Okay. Well, I’m going to the bathroom for a bit. Go ahead and check in first."

"!?"

I didn’t want to make excuses either. I left Yanagi behind and headed to the restroom.

(Bowling, huh... it’s been since last year since I went.)

I’m not exactly a playboy. But I’ve experienced most of the things a typical college student does, like mahjong, horse racing, and slots. Those were mostly because Kayama dragged me around to them, and I’ve been bowling a few times with Kayama and one other person.

So, while I’m up for a competition in bowling, I don’t really have much confidence in my skills. If I manage to hit a score of 100, that’d be a good result. Kayama was ridiculously good at bowling, so maybe I should’ve asked him for some tips...

(Then again, she’s only recently been a high school student... there’s a good chance she’s quite experienced.)

I don’t know much about Yanagi, but given she’s a typical modern-day high schooler, she’s probably been bowling a lot. She must have thought she could win, which is why she accepted the challenge in the first place.

In that case, I’m probably in for a tough match... I took a deep breath and headed back toward the reception desk.

...Yanagi was standing exactly where she was before, frozen like a stick.

"Hey. Didn’t I tell you to check in?"

"Ah! D-Don’t scare me like that! If you’re back, just say something!"

"Huh? Seriously... you’re not going to take my orders, huh? Fine then."

It was probably the fact that I told her to check in that annoyed her.

Honestly, though, I didn’t really care about that. I’d check in for her since it’s no big deal.

"Bring out your student ID if you’ve got it. You can use the coupon and student discount together."

"I-I know, I’ve got it, okay?"

"Alright. Excuse me, we’re two students, and we’d like to apply this coupon."

I handed the receptionist the coupon I had gotten from Yoshino-san. The 30% off written in big letters was a godsend for students. I don’t have much money to spare myself...

"Thank you for using our service! You’re applying the couple discount coupon, right?"

"‘Huh?’"

What on earth is this receptionist saying? I immediately looked over the coupon again.

It said, in tiny letters, For couples only!. I had completely overlooked that.

No, but these things are probably just a formality. I can probably push through it.

"U-Um, we’re not a couple, so you don’t have to use that one."

"Shut up, don’t say unnecessary things."

"Well, actually, if you just declare it, it’s still applicable. It’s fine even if you’re friends. We don’t really check that strictly."

"Right, haha, so can you just apply it?"

"No, we’re not friends, so don’t use it."

"Shut up and be quiet!!"

I’ve never seen anyone argue against applying a coupon before, only about not getting one. Is Yanagi the type who’s honest to the point of being a fool?

I cut off Yanagi, who was still trying to argue, and quickly selected the number of games before finishing the check-in.

"Yanagi. What name will you use?"

"What do you mean, it's just 'Ritsuka.' '律' (Ritsu) from the melody, and '花' (Ka) from the flower."

"I didn’t ask for the kanji."

"Then don’t ask for my name."

I had only asked about the registration name for the bowling game. Typically, display names are written in hiragana or katakana, so there’s no need to use kanji. What a strange reaction.

Anyway, I registered myself as Saigawa, and Yanagi as Ritsuka.

(Well... I've rented the shoes, now I just need to figure out which ball to use.)

Since I don’t own my own ball or shoes, I had to rent everything. Shoes aside, the ball’s fit and weight are crucial to your score, so I carefully picked one—aiming for a lighter one that would be easier to handle.

"You go first. You can throw as soon as you're ready."

"Got it."

Yanagi gave a curt nod and walked toward the lane—with my ball in hand.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait! That’s the one I rented!!"

"Huh? But it’s the only one."

"You didn’t rent it... wait a second."

I looked down at Yanagi's feet. Her shoes were still the same as before.

"...Where are your shoes?"

"My shoes?"

She tilted her head in confusion. It was then that I finally pieced together the sense of discomfort I’d been feeling.

"............Yanagi. There's no way, but—"

She couldn’t check in, she didn’t understand the registration name, and she hadn’t rented a ball or shoes.

At this point, it was clear to anyone who saw it.

"—You’ve never been bowling, have you...?"

"!! D-Don’t make fun of me! I might have, okay?!"

"Then why not say for sure that you haven’t... sigh."

She had taken such a confident attitude, as though she had plenty of experience, that I thought she was somewhat skilled. But in reality—what can I say? Was she just pretending?

"…This isn’t even a contest. Should we just call it quits?"

"Wait, wait! You can’t know unless you try, right?!"

"I’m not going to lose to a complete beginner playing for the first time today. I can tell without even trying. Well, if you want, I’ll forfeit. You don’t want to lose, right? It’s fine, I’m the bigger person here (chuckles)."

Seizing the moment, I sneered at Yanagi. She puffed up like a balloon. It was hilarious.

But Yanagi seemed to calm down after a moment and lowered her gaze.

"Well, well... I admit it. I’ve never been bowling. In high school, I was in the dorms and the rules were strict, so I couldn’t go to places like this. I’m sorry for accepting the challenge without saying anything. But..."

"Oooh... And then?"

"But, I mean, it’s just rolling a ball, right? If you just teach me a few tips, I’m sure I’ll overtake you in no time. Can we call it a match after that, senpai?"

Just when I thought she’d become humble, Yanagi was grinning mischievously as she provoked me. She must’ve been holding a grudge about me laughing at her earlier and was getting back at me by calling me "senpai."

"Don’t call me 'senpai'...!! Alright, I’ll teach you, you little...!!"

"Thank you sooo much!"

I’m a pretty simple guy, so—of course, I ended up falling for her bait.

"Go over there, get shoes that fit your size, and change into them."

"...I’m definitely not telling you my size. Don’t follow me."

"I don’t even want to know, so don’t worry."

I waved her off with my hand, and Yanagi stuck her tongue out before heading over to rent the shoes.

Does she need to provoke me every time? I thought "White Sorcerer" was supposed to be cool, almost indifferent, but it seems like she’s not as cold as I expected.

"I got them. What’s next?"

"Over there, there are a bunch of balls. Pick one that fits you."

"Can I just choose by color?"

"Do whatever you want."

Actually, the balls are color-coded by size, so the weight varies. The more colorful ones are lighter, usually meant for women or children. Dark colors like black or deep green are heavier and suited for adult men. Well, the size is listed on the balls too, so I figured Yanagi isn’t that dumb.

"I got one. How’s this? It’s black and shiny, super grown-up, right?"

Yanagi came back with a dark, heavy-looking ball, clutching it with both hands.

It seems like she has an even greater level of cluelessness than I thought...

"Haha, are you serious? You’re an idiot."

"W-What’s with you all of a sudden!? You’re the idiot for calling me that!! Idiot!!"

"Yeah, yeah, sure. Now, go ahead and try throwing that one."

"Ugh, you’re pissing me off... Fine! I’ll knock down all those pins in one shot!"

"It’s not a target, it’s a pin, and you don’t 'break' them, you knock them down..."

I didn’t offer any advice, deciding to let Yanagi try throwing the ball herself. She’ll figure out how wrong her choice was faster this way than if I told her.

Yanagi wobbled over to the lane, standing unsteadily as she... well, more like dropped the ball rather than threw it. Her form was a complete mess.

And as expected, the ball didn’t travel straight down the lane, immediately veering into the gutter.

"Ah... it fell into the drain."

"It’s not a drain, it’s the gutter..."

"What happens to my ball now? It got sucked into the back. Is it confiscated?"

"Just wait a minute."

There was a grinding sound, and soon Yanagi’s shiny black ball came back from the ball return.

Seeing that, Yanagi clapped her hands together, pleased.

"Wow! It came back! So cute! Welcome back!"

"Cute...?"

I had no idea what was cute about that. Yanagi seems to have some weird taste.

"Throw it again. You can throw twice in one turn."

"Really? That’s a deal!"

"A deal...?"

I still didn’t understand what she meant, but anyway, I had Yanagi try again.

The result was the same—straight into the gutter. She didn’t even come close to the pins.

"Alright. Zero points."

"Wh-what...! You should’ve been nicer and said something like 60 points or something! I’m a beginner, you know?!"

"I’m talking about the score."

Well, even if I were to grade Yanagi’s performance, there was no way I could give her 60 points.

Having already promised to teach her, I decided to start offering some advice.

"Yanagi, how was the ball?"

"Huh? Isn’t it grown-up and cute?"

"I didn’t ask about that! I’m talking about how it felt to use! If you were given a new weapon, you’d test it out first, right? Same idea!"

"Oh, I see... Uhh, well... it’s heavy, so it might be hard to use. But it’s cute..."

"Forget the 'cute' part. Basically, it means you can’t handle it with your strength. This is the heaviest ball, and even adult men hesitate to use it. So put it back on the rack and choose one that suits your strength. I’ll teach you after that."

I had always assumed that because Yanagi moved so gracefully and had the flexibility to wield a sword, she’d have decent arm strength to block our path. But apparently, that wasn’t the case. Her strength seemed about the same as any other college girl.

But putting aside my reassessment of her, Yanagi clutched the glossy black ball tightly.

"No, I don’t want to! I’m not putting it back!"

"Huh?"

"Because... I finally met this one... If I put it back now, it’ll be sad... It’ll be lonely."

"...Right. Fine. Keep it here then, but bring me another ball."

"Eh, is that okay?"

"It’s not like there’s only one ball per person. There’s a limit to it, but depending on how many pins are left, you can use multiple balls with different weights—"

Before I even finished speaking, Yanagi was already running off to pick a ball, shouting "Yay!" as she went.

What is this... What is going on? Is Yanagi not normal? Wait, she definitely wasn’t normal.

With nothing else to do, I took my turn and threw my ball. I managed to get a spare.

"I chose this one! How’s that?"

"Ah, yeah, yeah. Cute, cute."

"Pfft. What’s that? You mean 'cool,' right?"

(I really want to slap her.)

Now, Yanagi was holding a lighter ball, one she claimed was "cool." It was a mystery to me.

I couldn’t keep up with her sense of style. I decided to start giving her some proper guidance.

"First off, the basics—bowling is a game where you try to knock down as many pins as you can in one go."

"I know that much. It's... a strike, right?"

"Exactly. And the key to getting a strike is to throw the ball right in the middle, down the center."

I’ve heard that slightly off-center is better in some cases and that the spin of the ball can affect where you aim, but for general purposes, aiming for the center is the most straightforward.

"Hmm... this is really easy. Wait, so people actually get obsessed with this?"

"If you're trying to provoke the other customers, maybe you should use a megaphone. Just throw the ball already."

"Alright, alright. Let me show you my talent!" she said with a shallow, arrogant smile.

What’s with that expression... I feel like I know what to call it... 'understanding,' I guess...

---Yanagi’s throw was a diagonal line across the lane, and the ball was quickly sucked into the gutter.

"Well, that's a wash."

"It’s not a wash! That doesn’t count!!"

"Well, it’s still a wash."

"Stop calling it a wash!!"

It’s easy to understand once you try, but just rolling the ball forward doesn’t automatically make it go straight down the lane—it’s surprisingly difficult. It’s not really surprising that Yanagi couldn’t knock down a single pin.

Since Yanagi had learned the basic rule of throwing twice per turn, she quickly grabbed her ball when it came back, threw it again... and once more, it landed in the gutter.

"Wh... why...? I threw it straight..."

"You only think you threw it straight. Your wrist twisted, so the ball got an odd spin, and your release point was off. It’s not going where you’re aiming."

"Here it comes, the guy who uses complicated words to explain things to people who don’t get it! And then he feels like he explained it well, while only making himself feel good!"

"At least right now, I’m not feeling good."

Back when I was with the "Shishima Agency", there was a guy named Kengo. He didn’t listen to other people’s advice or explanations; he just relied on his own instincts and intuition to get results. Yanagi feels like she might be the same type. Which means... it’s pointless to say anything.

Now it was my turn, but frankly, I didn’t care about the score anymore. I picked up Yanagi’s ball with one hand.

"Hey."

"What? You’re going to explain it properly this time, right—"

Ignoring Yanagi’s grumbling, I grabbed her dominant hand.

"Ah!? W-wait, what are you—!?"

"Shut up. First, your fingers go in this far, and hold the ball like this."

I placed my hand over hers, forcing her into the correct form. I could hear her protests, but I ignored them. If words didn’t work, I was going to drill it into her.

"Wait... wait a second!"

Our hands were intertwined, and Yanagi was struggling. I wasn’t going to let her resist—after all, I was about to teach her.

"I’m not waiting. Now, face the lane, keep your elbow pulled back, and imagine keeping your wrist steady. Take a step forward and, with your outstretched arm, glide the ball along the ground as you throw."

At this point, I wasn’t just guiding her hand—I was practically moving her whole body like a puppet, forcing her into the correct form. As expected, her joints had a far greater range of motion than the average person, and she was incredibly flexible. It was almost like the fluid grace of a cat—another one of her natural talents.

Since she didn’t fully understand what I was doing, the ball didn’t have much force behind it, but it did roll straight down the lane. With a loud thud, she scored a strike.

"You got a strike, but that was just luck—"

I tried to undermine her excitement, intending to prevent her from getting too cocky. I expected her to jump and provoke me again. But for some reason, Yanagi was glaring at me.

Her face was bright red, the kind of flushed expression you’d expect from a girl her age.

"Y-you... even my brother...!"

"Huh? Who?"

"Even my brother... doesn’t touch me like that! Th-that’s sexual harassment!"

I was momentarily stunned. Sexual harassment... she meant that kind of sexual harassment. Well, I guess that makes sense.

So, me giving Yanagi sexual harassment? No, no, no, this makes no sense.

"I was just teaching you how to throw the ball. There's no ulterior motive, and besides, what kind of relationship do we even have? We’re not friends, nor is it a senior-junior relationship. There's no such thing as sexual harassment between us. I'd rather be called your rival or enemy than have to deal with that."

"Th-thats... true, but still! You’re my senior, right?"

"Don’t call me 'senior.' Fine, from now on, I won’t touch you again. Is that good enough for you?"

"........ Fine."

"Then it’s settled. Now, throw the ball like I showed you. If you don’t improve, it’ll be boring, and I’ll have no one to compete with. So make an effort, Yanagi, my junior."

"Ugh... the way you say that is so irritating..."

I honestly didn’t have any ill intentions toward Yanagi, and I definitely didn’t feel guilty about anything.

I can’t understand other people’s self-consciousness, but I really want to avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings.

──So, I decided to give Yanagi all of my turns and let her practice.

"Ahh! It went in the gutter again..."

The ball Yanagi threw veered off course right before the pins and fell into the gutter. Calling it "going into the gutter" seemed a little weird, but she had already started calling it that with a sense of resignation.

"Hey, isn't this just like the target... uh, the pins? It's like they’re inside the pins, right?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Like magnets...! My ball suddenly curved, so it must’ve been rigged! They’re messing with me!"

"Maybe it’s your head?"

Who would put magnets in the pins for what purpose? Are they trying to relieve shoulder tension with them or something?

──The simple truth is that Yanagi just doesn’t have the talent for bowling.

Her wrist is probably too flexible. When she throws the ball, her wrist automatically bends, causing it to spin weirdly. In swordsmanship, that abnormal flexibility in her wrist allows for strikes from any position, but in bowling, it’s just a handicap.

(So, the reason she threw straight earlier was probably because my hand was on hers.)

Her wrist didn’t bend too much when my hand was on hers, and she probably threw it straighter as a result. In other words, having her wrist fixed—or at least tense or rigid—seems to be the key to her throwing straight.

(Well, since I promised not to touch her again, there’s not much I can do about it now...)

Still, I should at least point out any other reasons the ball is curving.

"Uuuu! It’s curving again!"

"Ah, it might be because the ball has some extra oil on it."

"Huh? These balls are deep-fried...?"

"Don’t take 'extra oil' like it’s a literal deep-frying metaphor."

What kind of place is this, with magnets in the pins and deep-fried balls? Is this some kind of hell?

I pointed at the cloth provided next to the ball return, which is used to polish the balls.

"The lane is coated with wax, so when you throw the ball, it inevitably gets dirty. That can cause weird spins, and the ball won’t roll where you want it to. To prevent that, you need to regularly wipe the ball with that cloth."

"Oh, so like grooming!"

"Yeah. Though these ones are all permanently hairless."

If someone finds a ball with hair, let me know. I’ll take a picture with my phone and show it to Kayama later.

Yanagi carefully, meticulously, and thoroughly polished the ball she was using. Occasionally, she would hold it up or peer into it, like she was finishing a work of art.

"Mm, it’s looking nice and clean now."

"How long are you going to spend on this...?"

It’ll just get dirty again the moment you throw it, so all you need to do is give it a quick wipe...

Yanagi said, "Alright!" and finally finished polishing the ball. Then, she started polishing the original black shiny ball that had been sitting unused.

"Enough already!! You haven’t even used that one!!"

"Huh? This one’s been watching over me, okay? I’m doing this as a thank you."

"At least use the black ball before you thank it...!!"

"I’m using this one, and this one’s watching me. You still don’t get it, do you, senpai? (laugh)"

"I’m not gonna get it...!!"

Why is she provoking me now? It's clearly you who’s abnormal, not me.

In some ways, Yanagi is unwavering. She lives according to her own sense and sensibility. If this was a character she intentionally created, I’d laugh, but she’s probably not trying to act this way. She’s just like this naturally.

(At this point, I almost feel a bit of respect for her... I’ve never met anyone like this before...)

What really irritates me, though, is that Yanagi’s unique sense and sensibility directly contribute to her combat prowess as a "White Sorcerer". Yanagi has the ability to manipulate ice and snow, but she uses that simple ability in ways that are practically unimaginable thanks to her extraordinary creativity and adaptability. If her thought process comes from her sense of self, then... it was inevitable that she’d end up like this.

"Hey, something like this..."

"What's with that way of speaking...? It’s irritating..."

"If you manage to get a strike on your own one more time, I’ll concede you win. But if you don’t manage to get one by the end of the game, I win. How about those terms for our match?"

"Hmm, those terms are fine. But then the game’s gonna end soon, right? I’ve finished grooming my ball!"

"Yeah, yeah. You sure have a silver tongue."

Polishing, or rather, grooming the ball won’t really affect the outcome that much.

Yanagi’s weak point, her wrist flexibility, has been an asset so far. That’s why it’s hard to change, even if I point it out, and she might not even realize it herself. The point is, Yanagi won’t be getting a strike.

"You better get ready to be shocked. I’ve got a secret plan...!"

With a form that could hardly be called graceful, Yanagi threw the ball.

As expected, her wrist bent unnaturally due to habit. With that, the ball would spin and it was impossible for it to roll straight. And yet, since it wasn’t even a deliberate spin, there was no way it would be a strike—

—Crack, BakoOOOOON!

"Huh?"

"How about that!! Did you see it!? Strike!!"

In a single throw, all the pins were knocked down. Visually and on the scorecard, it was undoubtedly a strike.

Ah, there’s no mistaking it. This is definitely—

(She just used "Blessing"...!!)

—What the hell, cowardly!! And that’s the kind of move only someone with the "Mark" can pull off!!

Yanagi’s ball suddenly curved in the opposite direction in an unnatural way. The sound of something breaking was heard because Yanagi had instantaneously created a thin wall of ice and, like pinball, the ball bounced off it. Even though her throw was off-target, the ball’s rebound after interacting with her ability was perfectly controlled—baffling.

And above all, her guts to call this “a secret plan”!

This smug expression, like she had totally earned that strike!

Ah, what else can I do? Do I have to go all the way with this? Guess there's no choice.

"Hey, staff! This girl is cheating!!"

"Wait, why are you suddenly trying to call the staff!?"

"Because you're committing a fraudulent act!! You thought it wouldn’t get noticed, but it totally will!! You can’t fool me! I’ve gone head-to-head with the agency more than anyone else when it comes to your ability!! Your a coward!! A cheater!!"

"Shut up, shut up! I’m not a coward! It’s a strategy!!"

"Shut it. Either way, this is a staff issue. I’m calling them."

Ignoring Yanagi, I pressed the button on the control panel to call the staff.

"Alright, fine. I’m sorry for cheating. I’ll apologize to the staff too. But "Blessing" is something I can use naturally. It’s not like there’s a rule against using "Blessing"..."

"Are you misunderstanding something? The reason I’m calling the staff isn’t to accuse you."

"Huh?"

"The reason I’m calling them is because your "Blessing" made the lane wet. I’m calling them to clean it up!"

"Huh?"

"Listen, outside, I don’t care where or when you use "Blessing" on anyone. But when you use it indoors, ice shards scatter, and when they melt, it turns into water and makes the floor wet! It causes trouble for the store...!! So don’t use it...!! It’s common sense!!"

"Ah... uh..."

Indeed, I hadn’t prohibited the use of "Blessing" in the rules. So, while I might think it’s cowardly, it’s not necessarily cheating if Yanagi used it to get a strike.

However, the part where Yanagi was truly at fault, in my opinion, was causing trouble for the store.

The unreasonable part where Yanagi used "Blessing" without considering the secondary damage it would cause to the environment.

When I pointed this out, Yanagi seemed to realize it, shrinking like a scolded animal.

She made up an excuse to the staff, saying she had accidentally thrown a wet ball, and managed to get out of it—but during that time, Yanagi had been slumped, looking downcast.

"Blessed ones… aren’t normal, are they?"

"What’s with the sudden change?"

For a while, we just sat in silence, no longer engaged in bowling.

In that silence, Yanagi muttered quietly. "Blessed ones" basically means people with special abilities. We on the side of the "Shishima Agency" refer to them as "Marked," while the organization calls them "Blessed."

"Since I’m not normal, even if I try to act normally, things don’t always go well. Like earlier—if you hadn’t said anything, I wouldn’t have considered how my actions might have inconvenienced others."

"...And?"

"I wonder what I should’ve done instead."

"Don’t do anything. It’s not that complicated."

"Hmph. Sure! I didn’t expect you to give me a good answer anyway!"

Yanagi puffed out her cheeks. But she understood well enough.

I’m powerless. In combat, I’m someone without any ability. Even in daily life... I don’t feel like I possess anything special. Let alone the troubles of having a special ability—that’s not something I’m concerned with.

Still, I get the sense that Yanagi is struggling with something I don’t fully understand. But the truth is, I’m not the person she should be confiding in. That’s not why I came here today.

"Yanagi."

"What?"

"Throw a ball. Do you want to keep chatting like this?"

"I don’t want to talk anymore. Fine, I’ll throw."

"Don’t use "Blessing"."

"I won’t use it!"

Yanagi picked up a light ball and tried to awkwardly follow the form I showed her. She was getting the shape right, but her wrist still kept moving strangely.

So, I reached out and roughly touched the back of Yanagi’s body.

"Yikes!"

She let out a surprised noise and threw the ball without thinking. She probably didn’t need to think hard to realize what just happened. As she turned to face me, her expression was pure anger.

"You…! I told you not to touch me, you liar!"

This was the reaction I’d expected. I pointed a finger at the lane with one hand.

As Yanagi turned to look, a loud crack echoed through the room.

"Huh... Strike…?"

"See? You can do it. Without using your ability."

"Ah! But! How did… why did you suddenly… and you did touch me, right!?"

"I didn’t touch you."

"Another lie—wait…"

At that moment, Yanagi finally noticed what I was holding in my hands.

It was the black glossy ball, one I had no intention of using. I was holding it like it was a pet, and it seemed like Yanagi had realized what she had felt on her back earlier.

I knew her body would stiffen in response to external stimuli. She probably hadn’t been attacked much, or maybe hadn’t been touched by others at all. Her overly soft wrist, however, would react perfectly to that stiffness. So, to keep my promise, I had used this black glossy ball, which seemed to be watching over Yanagi, to touch her back.

I hadn’t expected her to get a strike, though. I was hoping for at least five pins to go down, and the fact that she was improving was unquestionable.

"It seems like it wasn’t just watching over you, huh?"

"…………"

"I didn’t touch you. So, my promise wasn’t broken—"

"—Ah, ahahaha! Wh-what’s that! Ahahahaha! It’s so funny! I can’t believe you’re blaming this kid! This makes no sense! Ahahahahaha!"

"Hey. You’re laughing way too much…!"

Yanagi bent her waist and literally hugged her stomach while bursting into laughter.

I had no idea what was so funny. And since I wasn’t trying to be funny, being laughed at like this brought a certain amount of embarrassment and discomfort.

"Ah, forget it! Keep laughing there for the rest of your life!"

"Sorry, sorry… pfft. Hey, Saigawa-kun."

"What now—"

As I turned around to distance myself, Yanagi tightly grabbed the hem of my clothes.

If she was going to stop me just to laugh at me more, then seriously—

"Thank you. You’re surprisingly funny and kind."

"──────…"

I swallowed my breath. It was so sudden. But what exactly was sudden?

It wasn’t that I was being thanked out of the blue.

It wasn’t that I was being evaluated, even in some small way.

—It was the fact that I had seen Yanagi smile like that for the first time.

I couldn’t even muster a sarcastic remark like, "You can smile like that?" It didn’t even come to mind.

However, I knew I would never forget that smile for the rest of my life.

It was that impactful—though I didn’t want to admit it—Yanagi’s smile was so... cute.

"Wh-what’s with 'Saigawa-kun'?"

I might have blushed, so I pointed out something trivial instead.

"Huh? Well, you don’t want me to call you 'Saigawa-senpai,' right? I don’t get it, but if you don’t want me to call you that, I won’t. I’ll call you 'Saigawa-kun' instead!"

"…Do whatever. We’re probably not going to see each other much from now on anyway."

"Guess you’re right. Since I won the match, huh?"

"…Huh?"

Rather than sounding triumphant, Yanagi said it as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Wait, wait, wait... when did the match get decided?

"Well, I got a strike. Twice."

"First time you used "Blessing", and the second time you were helped by me... or rather, that black glossy ball! That’s not your 'own' effort…!!"

""Blessing" is my power, and that ball is on my side, so it’s practically my own effort."

"I don’t get it…! Then throw again now! No "Blessing" and no help!"

"My arm hurts, I can’t do it."

So… this is how she’s going to escape with a win...!!

I could already see the 'it’s over' look on Yanagi’s face. She was satisfied, having enjoyed herself and won the match. This meant no matter what I said, she wasn’t going to throw anymore.

Was I going to lose without even throwing properly?

It’s fine if I lose after facing her head-on, but this situation doesn’t sit well with me.

"—Hey."

"What? We should start getting ready to go home soon."

"Give me your contact info…!!"

"Huh?"

I thrust my phone at her, demanding her contact details. There hadn’t been any need to exchange contact info for today since Yoshino-san had quickly arranged the meeting place and time, so we hadn’t really needed to contact each other.

But if I was going to face Yanagi again, that wasn’t going to work. I’d need to contact her, call her out, and then defeat her completely until she was crying.

Yanagi blinked, looking stunned, before giving a small nod.

I got her contact information. Now, I could challenge her to a duel anytime…!!

"Alright. Listen, today’s match is invalid. No matter what you say, it’s invalid. No count. So, the next time we meet, we’ll settle it for real. Got it?"

"…Fine, whatever. Hey, Saigawa-kun."

"What?"

"Maybe you should study a little about atmosphere or something? Seriously."

"Huh? What does atmosphere have to do with anything? You’re so weird."

"Shut up… Do you even know what it means to ask a girl for her contact info?"

"I don’t care about that. It’s just data collection."

"D-data collection…!? I can’t believe it! What’s that!? Give me my contact info back!"

"How am I supposed to give it back? Once it’s been released, it’s too late to back out."

Upon hearing my response, Yanagi gave me a look as though she were grinding her teeth. If she didn’t want to share it, she could have just said so. But now that she had given it to me carelessly, there was no taking it back.

"Well, I’ll say this—I won’t misuse it. But more importantly—don’t run away."

"……Hah. I won’t run, but… I don’t want to see you every day, okay?"

"I’m not that free. The next time will be the last one."

"Yeah, yeah. Who was it again that said we wouldn’t see each other much from now on~?"

In the end, Yanagi lightly brushed me off with a sigh.

Hey, why does it feel like I’m the one desperate here? Does she already think the match is decided, and now she sees me as the sore loser whining about it? I won’t accept that…

Afterward, we cleaned up—Yanagi seemed reluctant to part with the ball—and then we left the bowling alley and parted ways like any normal day.

Since we were heading in opposite directions, it was clear we wouldn’t be walking home together.

"Hey, Saigawa-kun."

"What is it? You getting cold feet?"

"You’re really hot-headed, huh? How much do you love to compete? Well, whatever. See you."

With a light wave of her hand, Yanagi waved goodbye.

If it had been someone like Kayama, I would have casually said "See you" and responded with the same greeting. But somehow, I couldn’t bring myself to do the same with Yanagi. I stood there, silently, frozen.

Well, whether she knew it or not, Yanagi didn’t wait for me and turned on her heel, walking away.

I stood there, absentmindedly watching her until her figure disappeared into the crowd.

Without her sword, and without using her powers, she was just… a normal girl.

The desire to settle the score was undoubtedly my true feeling. But maybe, it wasn’t just that.

Maybe, I just wanted to see that smile again, even if just once more.

So much so that I thought about it faintly on the way home, which meant, perhaps, that by now, I had already become captivated by her.